Glossary
Dual Pixel CMOS AF
Canon's implementation of on-sensor phase-detect AF. Every imaging photosite is split into two photodiodes, giving 100% frame coverage with no AF-pixel gaps in the image.
Most on-sensor PDAF systems dedicate a subset of pixels to focus and interpolate them out of the image. Canon's Dual Pixel AF splits every pixel into two — both halves contribute to the final image AND to AF.
Practical advantages
- No PDAF artifacts. Some early Sony / Nikon sensors showed faint banding from interpolated AF pixels in extreme low-light recovery; Dual Pixel sensors do not.
- Smooth video focus. Continuous AF transitions are notably smoother than dedicated-PDAF designs — a major reason Canon dominated mirrorless video AF early on.
- Frame coverage. Up to 100% of the image is AF-capable on R5, R3, R5 II.
In comparisons
Sony A7 IV, Nikon Z8, and similar competitors have closed the smoothness gap with software refinement and faster sensor readout. The hardware advantage remains, but the visible difference in 2024+ video shoots is small.
Where this matters
Categories that use dual pixel cmos af
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